Category Archives: recipes

Cheeseburger Pie a.k.a. Chewed Up Cheeseburger

15 Thursday Nov 2012

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As we prepared to hunker down in New Jersey in anticipation of Hurricane Sandy, we made a quick Target run for all the necessities before the stores closed indefinitely. I’m pretty sure our idea of “necessities” didn’t really jive with everyone else at Target, but hey, we didn’t know if this would be our last chance to stock up before heading back to Argentina! As we were filling our cart with things like basic tees, Mr. Clean Magic Erasers, and beauty products, it occurred to us that getting some food might be a good idea as well. What would make good hurricane comfort food? At Gaspar’s request, Chewed Up Cheeseburger it was.

The first time I made this I was in grade school. The recipe, called Quick Cheeseburger Pie, was from a cookbook that we’d gotten from Gold Medal Flour that was geared towards kids and had a different recipe for each letter of the alphabet. I’d already successfully tried my hand at a few other recipes in that little book, and my cousins were coming over for dinner so I wanted to pick a winner. I did, although it was my first lesson in portion planning as it wasn’t nearly enough to feed the crowd. Still, it went over like gangbusters and has been a go-to ever since, as many of our friends can attest. It was Gaspar who dubbed it Chewed Up Cheeseburger, which I initially found horrifying but have come to embrace. Perhaps it doesn’t sound all that appetizing, but think about all the delicious flavors of a cheeseburger in a flaky pie crust, and you may change your mind.

Like all casseroles, the photos may not be all that pretty, but just trust me.

CHEWED UP CHEESEBURGER

For pastry:

1 1/3 cup flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup shortening

4 T. cold water

For filling:

1 pound lean ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup flour

1/3 cup dill pickle juice

1/3 cup milk

1/2 cup chopped dill pickles

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 425° F. For the pastry crust, in a medium bowl, mix 1 1/3 cups flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles tiny peas. Add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring with a fork after each addition. Mix lightly, just until pastry almost cleans sides of bowl. Press into bottom and sides of an 8 inch pie pan. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.

To make the filling, crumble ground beef into a large skillet and saute over medium heat for 1 minute. Add onion and garlic. Continue to saute until onion is browned, about 10 minutes. Drain grease from mixture. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup flour. Stir in pickle liquid, milk, pickles, and 1 cup shredded cheese. Spoon mixture into pastry shell. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Sprinkle top with remaining 1 cup cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes, until pastry is golden brown and cheese is bubbly.

Recipe: Paella Mixta

02 Tuesday Oct 2012

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For the longest time, to me, Spanish food meant tapas and tapas only. Baked goat cheese in tomato sauce, calamari a la plancha, sautéed mushrooms, pinxtos…what’s not to love? I’d always been so firmly focused on the small plates, I never bothered exploring the array of more filling options. And after staring down the beady-eyed shrimp topping my first paella during a trip to Madrid, I wasn’t quite sure that I was up for the challenge.

But once I got past my fear of picking apart the little creatures, I was on a mission to learn to make paella at home. It just seemed a little overwhelming, what with hunting down the special pan, special rice, special who the hell knew what else. So being the thoughtful man he is, upon our return to Chicago Gaspar made us reservations at Café Ba-Ba-Reeba’s paella cooking demo. Of course, I suspect he was thinking about how he could benefit from me learning to make paella, as much as he was thinking about making me a happy lady. For anyone living in the area, I wholeheartedly recommend signing up for the class. It’s reasonably priced, includes lunch and vino, and they sell super convenient paella kits. For the rest of you, check out La Tienda for kits or individual ingredients.

Once you gather the key items, you will get plenty of use out of them. Trust me. The first must is a paella pan. The pans are shallow and have sloping sides, which helps the rice cook evenly and develop a more intense flavor. In addition to the proper pan, it’s important to use high-quality paella rice. Calasparra or Bomba rice is the best. These are classic short grain varieties grown in Spain that are super absorbent, expand in width when cooked, and maintain their separate shape without becoming creamy or sticky. Then there’s the saffron, which gives the paella its rich yellow color and an additional depth of flavor. I also consider the sweet smoky Spanish paprika a must.

Beyond these key ingredients, I tend to mix it up, and you should too. Chicken, monkfish, rabbit, chorizo, shrimp, mussels, peas, red peppers…whatever strikes your fancy.

Real, Valencian paella is almost always cooked over an open fire, which helps it develop the delicious socarrat, a caramelized crust of rice. I’m not really in the proper situation to be cooking over open flames, so my methods are modified accordingly and sadly, that means no socarrat. But if you have the time, patience and equipment for it, you can cook the paella either over an open flame or completely on the stovetop, rotating it often. Whichever way you choose, tranqui, it’ll still be delicious.

This version is adapted from the recipe for Arroz el Principe in Paella Cookbook from Café Ba-Ba-Reeba.

PAELLA MIXTA

4 Tablespoons olive oil

1/2 pound (approx. 1/4 kilo) dark meat chicken, diced

Seafood of choice (I recommend 15 raw shrimp or 1/2 pound shelled mussels)

1/4 pound hard Spanish-style chorizo sausage, diced

2 tsp. garlic, minced

1 tsp. sweet pimentón (paprika)

3 ounces tomato puree

1 can peas

1 1/4 cup Calasparra or Bomba rice

3 threads saffron

4 cups chicken stock

salt, to taste

Before you start, I recommend prepping all the ingredients. The cooking process goes pretty quickly, so it’s best to have everything on hand.

Heat the olive oil in your paella pan over medium heat, and sauté the chicken until golden brown. Add the garlic, sweet pimentón, tomato puree, peas and chorizo. Then add the rice, stirring so that the grains are thoroughly coated with the oil mixture. Finally, add the saffron and chicken stock. Turn heat to low. Continue to cook until 1/4 of the liquid is reduced. Add the seafood, without stirring the rice (I just sort of tuck/dunk the seafood into the mixture, so as not to disturb the rice too much). Season with salt and bring to a boil. Place in the oven at 350° Fahrenheit for 15 – 20 minutes. Before serving, let it rest for a few minutes, covered with brown paper or foil, so that the rice absorbs the liquid completely and the outside edges crisp.

Recipe: Crispy Plantain Chips

13 Thursday Sep 2012

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My love affair with el platano continues.

With the abundance of face-sized paltas at the mercado lately, I’ve been making lots of guac. (By the way, I highly recommend this recipe from The Other Side of the Tortilla). But oddly, it can be hard to track down tortilla chips in this town. Las Tortillas de Pancho Villa is lo máximo, but obviously they can’t deliver on the drop of a dime and my guacamole cravings are often unplanned. And guacamole on crackers tastes pretty much as you would expect: not great.

Enter, the plantain chip.

That thing I said before about preferring my plantains super ripe and sweet instead of starchy? Yeah, scratch that. I’m a liar. These are flippin’ delicious.

Make sure you choose plantains that are nice and green, not ripe. I used a mandoline to slice the plantains lengthwise because I like the presentation better, but you can also just use a sharp knife or slice them up like coins. Make sure you keep an eye on them as they fry so they don’t burn. And whatever you do, DO NOT skip the seasoning! It’s la bomba.

This recipe is modified from one that originally appeared in Gourmet.

CRISPY PLANTAIN CHIPS

2 tsp. finely grated lime zest

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (1/2 if you’re using cayenne pepper hecho en Argentina)

vegetable oil

4 green plantains

Stir together zest, salt, and cayenne pepper and set aside.

Cut ends from plantains and score skin of each plantain 5 times lengthwise, avoiding ridges. Soak in hot tap water for about 5 minutes before peeling. Meanwhile, cover bottom of a 5-quart heavy pot with about a half-inch of vegetable oil and heat over moderate heat. It should be nice and hot before you drop in the plantains, or they will absorb oil rather than crisp.

Cut the peeled plantains lengthwise with a U-shaped peeler or mandolin into very thin strips. Place 6 – 10 strips in the hot oil (they shouldn’t be touching) and fry, turning frequently, until golden, 45 – 60 seconds. Transfer with tongs to paper towels and sprinkle crisps immediately with salt mixture.

These don’t store so well, so you have an excuse to eat them all immediately.

Recipe: Homemade Granola

04 Tuesday Sep 2012

Posted by in breakfast and brunch, recipes

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For a long time, the idea of making my own granola just never occurred to me. It was always so readily available, in every imaginable variety. And with all the health nuts constantly reminding me that granola’s not as good for you as you think it is, I tried to eat it sparingly. Then I read an article in Bon Appétit and the recipe sounded so delicious (and yes, healthy), I had to give it a try. It’s now one of my breakfast staples.

I’m especially happy to have this recipe here in Buenos Aires, where there are not entire football field-length grocery store aisles dedicated to cereal. The lack of overwhelming and unnecessary selection is certainly not a bad thing, but see, I’ve got this thing about cereal texture….okay, yes, I’m picky.

One of the great things about this recipe is its flexibility. You can add different nuts, fruits, or even dark chocolate pieces, based on your preferences. This version is modified from Bon Appétit’s original. I like to enjoy the finished product with yogurt and fresh fruit.

HOMEMADE GRANOLA

  • 3 cups old-fashioned oats
  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped almonds
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • generous 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 cup dried fruit of choice (I used dried peaches this time, but recommend dried cherries)

Preheat oven to 300°F. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix first 7 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir honey and oil in saucepan over medium-low heat until smooth. Pour honey mixture over oat mixture and toss. Spread on prepared sheet. Bake until golden, stirring every 10 minutes, for about 40 minutes. Place sheet on a wire rack, stir granola, and allow to cool before mixing in dried fruit. Store in an airtight container.

This recipe yields about 5 cups.

Recipe: Tully Chicken Casserole

27 Monday Aug 2012

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Growing up in the country of western Pennsylvania exposes one to a lot of food traditions that you may not appreciate until you move away and find yourself at a grocery store deli counter struggling to explain what you mean by “chipped ham.” (Y’all are missing out, I tell you). Like many people, there are certain foods I will always associate with home. Some were common in the area, like pierogies, and sweet corn from Ambrose Farm Market. Others were specialties in the Limbaugh household, like black raspberry jelly, rhubarb crunch, and homegrown Limbaugh’s Legacy Potato-Top tomatoes. (Seriously. They’re really called that.)

This recipe falls into the latter category. I sometimes wish I could think of a name more descriptive than what we always called it: Tully Chicken. So named because my mom got the recipe from the Tullys, a family that attended our church. I have to wonder what the Tullys called it, and if they have any idea how famous their name’s become amongst a group of chicken casserole lovers.

With the chilly grey skies that have been enveloping Buenos Aires lately, comfort food’s been the name of the game and I was really craving some Tully Chicken. But even though this recipe is so simple, this city is missing two crucial casserole ingredients: cream of chicken soup and Ritz crackers. Or so I thought. As I strolled through the aisles of the newly-opened Carrefour in our neighborhood, I spotted a package of Rex galletitas. How had I never noticed these Ritz-look-alikes before? After a close inspection to confirm their validity, I swept a pile into my basket and rushed home to look up cream of chicken substitutes on the interwebs. Double score! Leave it to the Southerners to figure out how to make a casserole in a pinch.

While Mom always boiled a whole chicken to make Tully Chicken, I prefer to roast it. Mostly because that crispy skin can’t be used in the casserole, so it goes directly in my belly. But I also find the texture and flavor a bit more pleasing. The downside is that it may be tempting to skip the recipe entirely once your chicken comes out of the oven all golden and crispy-like.

Like most casseroles, it ain’t healthy. But isn’t that the point of comfort food?

TULLY CHICKEN CASSEROLE

One whole chicken, about 3 – 4 pounds

One can cream of chicken soup, or use this substitute

About 12 ounces of sour cream (more or less, to taste)

Two sleeves of Ritz crackers, or 4 bags of Rex crackers

Stick and a half of butter (about 170 grams)

Roast or boil the chicken and let it cool enough to pick the meat from the bones. (I like to use Thomas Keller’s simple roast chicken method). Combine sour cream and cream of chicken soup in a large bowl, and add the chicken. Stir until chicken is evenly coated. Spread the mixture in a 9 x 13 pan or casserole dish.

Melt butter in a medium-sized bowl and set aside. Place crackers in a large Ziploc bag and seal, letting out as much of the air as you can. Crush the crackers in the bag using a rolling pin. I like to leave some larger chunks of cracker – don’t go overboard or you’ll make a powder out of it. Combine the crushed crackers and melted butter, then spread the mixture on top of the chicken.

Bake at 375° F for about 20 minutes, until bubbly and slightly browned.

Recipe: Sweet Fried Plantains

16 Thursday Aug 2012

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I’m baffled by the fact that plantains are not more widely appreciated in my corner(s) of the world. The close-to-a-banana-but-not-really fruit can certainly be found in the States and here in Argentina, but it doesn’t have the same staple-food status that it enjoys in the Caribbean, parts of Latin America, Africa and Southeast Asia. What the heck is wrong with the rest of us?! Do we avoid delicious food? Do we not like fruit that tastes like candy? Smarten up, people!

Photo via CAPL

There’s no shortage of ways to prepare plantains. Depending on the region, they may be boiled, steamed, fried, grilled, baked or mashed and served in stews, with rice, with black beans, as chips…..you get the idea. While I’ll take my plantain in any form I can get it, my favorite preparation also happens to be the easiest. Fry it up and eat it.

Plantains can be eaten when green, but at that stage they’re much more starchy than I prefer. As they ripen, they get sweeter. And when I say ripen, I really mean turn into an ugly black pod.

To be fair, I let this guy go a bit longer than usual. I think it was uglying up the fruit bowl for about a month, and I fully intended to prepare it sooner when it wasn’t quite as offensive looking. But hey, life gets in the way. Anyway, I opened it up and surprise! Still ripe, sweet and delicious.

This recipe is TOTALLY flexible. You can make your slices thinner to get a crispier result, but I like mine with some soft meat in the middle. Some people prefer to use butter or coconut oil for a different flavor. You really can’t go wrong.

FRIED PLANTAIN

Two ripe plantains

Oil of choice

Peel the plantains and slice on the diagonal, making each piece less than one inch thick. Pour enough oil in a heavy-bottom sauté pan to adequately cover the bottom. Heat oil on medium-high. Let oil get nice and hot before adding the plantain slices. After about 30 seconds, check the bottoms. You want them brown and crispy, not black and burnt. Flip each slice over when they’ve reached your desired done-ness, and cook for another 30 seconds or so until caramelized. Remove from oil and allow to cool just slightly before serving.

(One plantain = one serving, más o menos)

 

Recipe: Sautéed Garlic Mushrooms

09 Thursday Aug 2012

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I was never a huge fan of mushrooms growing up. Something about eating a fungus that grows in manure never struck me as particularly appetizing. But when I don’t care for a food, it nags at me. So I continue to try it. You know, just to confirm. Sometimes I’m pleasantly surprised to find my tastes have changed. The rest of the time, I’m gagging on olives. (So gross. Still. Every time.)

This recipe for sautéed mushrooms is inspired by dishes I’ve enjoyed at Spanish restaurants. Heavy on the garlic as always, and cooked to slightly caramelized perfection. They’re quick and easy as an appetizer, side or part of a tapas-style meal.

SAUTÉED GARLIC MUSHROOMS

400 grams of white mushrooms (about a pound)

2 Tablespoons olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

squeeze of fresh lemon juice

salt and pepper

4 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Clean the mushrooms and trim the stalks close to the caps. Depending on the size of your mushrooms, you may want to cut larger ones in half or fourths. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms and sauté over high heat, stirring most of the time, for about a minute. Turn heat to low. When the juices have come out of the mushrooms, return heat to high and sauté for another 4 – 5 minutes or until mushrooms are brown and beginning to caramelize and juices are almost completely evaporated. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the parsley and cook for an additional minute. Serve piping hot or warm.

Recipe: Cilantro Chimichurri

30 Monday Jul 2012

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Asado is a staple of Argentine culture and cooking. The word loosely translates to the English word barbecue; it can be an actual event or it can refer to the food. There’s no limit to the types and cuts of meat that can be piled on the parrilla for an asado.

Just like its North American brethren, no asado would be complete without condiments. The most common in Argentina would have to be chimichurri, a sauce typically made of chopped parsley, garlic, oregano, olive oil and vinegar. I’d had chimichurri before at Argentinian steakhouses in the USA and was never really bowled over. But then I tried the chimichurri at a hole-in-the-wall parrilla serving choripan in San Telmo. The greasy, murky jar with the little plastic spoon may not have been so visually appealing, but that ish was delish. I had to make some at home.

Because I love cilantro, this version includes it, and is also heavy on the garlic. It’s amazing how such simple ingredients can come together so deliciously.

Chimichurri can also be used as a marinade before grilling, and I’ve found this recipe complements steak, pork and chicken. It’s definitely best with grilled meats, but I’ve used it with braised meat as well and have even mixed it with cooked quinoa for a tasty side dish.

This recipe is adapted from one in Bon Appétit.

CILANTRO CHIMICHURRI

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1 tsp. sea salt

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 red jalapeño, finely chopped

2 cups chopped fresh cilantro

1 cup chopped parsley

2 T. dried oregano (or 1/3 fresh, chopped)

1/2 cup olive oil

Combine vinegar, 1 tsp. salt, garlic, shallot and chile in a medium bowl and let stand for at least 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro, parsley, and oregano. Using a fork, whisk in oil. If using as a marinade, reserve at least a 1/2 cup of the chimichurri, sprinkle with salt to taste, and use later as a sauce. For the marinade, put meat in a glass, stainless steel or ceramic dish and toss with remaining chimichurri. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours or overnight before grilling.

Recipe: Baked Eggs with Basil Cream Sauce and Cheese

16 Monday Jul 2012

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Fresh eggs, feathers and all.

We go through a lot of eggs in this household. Scrambled, fried, frittata’d, boiled, even microwaved, we eat it all. But one method of preparation I had never tried before was baking them. So when I came across this recipe in my trusty Better Homes & Gardens cookbook, I decided to give it a try.

I love how this cookbook is the gift that keeps on giving. I’ve had it for years, but each time I go through it I notice a recipe that never caught my attention before. This was one of them. It had me at “basil.”

While the original recipe is intended for individual dishes, I’m operating with a limited availability of kitchen supplies. So all four servings went into a small casserole dish, and it turned out quite nicely. Though again, I tell you, eggs just do not photograph well.

Based on the outcome, I’ll definitely be baking eggs again. The preparation is simple, and the eggs can be cooked to order depending on how runny (or not) you prefer your yolk. Something to note is that the egg continues cooking after you remove it from the oven, which I learned as my yolks went from runny to cooked through as they sat on the counter. So next time, I’ll take them out on the earlier side.

I was worried that the “cream” portion of this recipe may be too heavy, but I was pleasantly surprised at how light and flavorful it was with only milk, flour, basil and some butter.

BAKED EGGS WITH BASIL CREAM SAUCE AND CHEESE

3 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

3 Tablespoons snipped fresh basil

1 cup milk

nonstick cooking spray

4 eggs

salt 

pepper

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (1 ounce)

additional snipped fresh basil

For basil sauce, in a small saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour, the 1/4 tsp. of salt and the 1/8 tsp. of pepper. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir one minute more. Remove from heat. Stir in the 3 Tablespoons of fresh basil.

Coat four 8- to 10-ounce round baking dishes or 6-ounce custard cups, OR one small casserole dish, with cooking spray. To assemble, spoon about 2 Tablespoons of basil sauce into each dish (or 8 T. into the one). Gently break an egg into the center of each dish; season with salt and pepper. Spoon remaining sauce over eggs. Bake in a 350° (F) oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until eggs are set. Sprinkle with cheese. Let stand until cheese melts. Garnish with additional snipped basil. Makes 4 servings.

Cachafaz: El Mejor Alfajor

10 Tuesday Jul 2012

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Buenos Aires is overflowing with dulce de leche. Whether it’s stuffed in a pastry, spread on a tostada, or my personal favorite, eaten by the cucharada, this caramel spread is a pervasive Argentine treat that makes its way into breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Perhaps the most common appearance of dulce de leche in Argentina is sandwiched between two shortbread cookies in the famous alfajor. I’ll just nip this in the bud for all the immature giggling gringos: yes, that’s pronounced in a way similar to how one may refer to a number one prostitute in English. Sigh. Some people….

I’ve not yet attempted to create my own alfajor. There are so many already on the market, I’ve kept myself busy sampling them all instead. The windows of every confitería in Buenos Aires boast piles of the delicate cookies, dusted with powdered sugar, rolled in coconut or dipped in chocolate. Many cafés and restaurants have their own home-made versions, ranging from tiny bite-sized cookies to cookies as big as your face. And kioscos on every corner offer a variety of pre-packaged options.

Of course, being somewhat snobbish about things like this (homemade > store-bought) that was the last place I expected to find a winner. But hands down, without a doubt, no two ways about it, Cachafaz es lo más. The best of the best. The alpha alfajor.

Cachafaz makes a variety of alfajores, but my favorite is the basic dulce de leche version: thick, creamy dulce de leche sandwiched between two buttery shortbread cookies and rolled in coconut flakes. They can be found at any local kiosco or supermercado chino for around $7 pesos a pop.